'Engaging with Pakistan at this stage sends out a message that undermines the sentiments of the people of India who stand firmly against any compromise on national security.'
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma still seem to have steam in them as batters and the two superstars should be allowed to take a call on their future, reckoned former India cricketer and selector Madan Lal.
Batting great Sunil Gavaskar strongly defended India head coach Gautam Gambhir despite the humiliating 0-2 series whitewash at the hands of South Africa.
The track is historically a high-scoring one and the outfield is quick. But on a red soil surface, the ball grips and can surprise the batters.
Quinton de Kock had retired from ODIs after the 2023 World Cup and had not played T20Is since the loss to India in the 2024 T20 World Cup final until October.
The once familiar sight of nimble-footed, whippywristed Indian batters dominating spin looks a distant memory, replaced by the horror of watching South Africa off-spinner Simon Harmer wreak havoc by taking 17 wickets over the two Tests.
India skipper Suryakumar Yadav urged his teammates to remain on the fearless on the cricket pitch.
'You have a lot of options if you want to see. You can remove Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill and you can open with Sai Sudharsan and Ruturaj Gaikwad...'
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'It (the pitch) wasn't free-flowing. You felt comfortable, but the scoreboard wasn't going anywhere.'
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Most 38-year-olds would hate leaving home but Virat Kohli's commitment to the game remains unmatched, said former South Africa pacer Dale Steyn.
'Some players will feel comfortable with a former player. Some players will be comfortable with a coach that's never played the game before but he's got a lot of years of experience of coaching the game.'
The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 auction saw some foreign names earning big bucks, headlined by Aussie all-rounder Cameron Green
India stuck to their pre-series decision to field Bumrah in only three Tests and was hence not played in the final Test at the Oval
'Constant changes to the playing XI, batting orders, and frequent rotations prevent stability.'
Rohit Sharma has informed the Mumbai Cricket Association of his availability for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy, heeding the BCCI directive.
Traditionally carved from top-quality willow, famous bat-makers, source the bulk of their willow wood from Kashmir.
Sack Gambhir before he damages any more careers, if you must. But it cannot stop there. The project ahead must be bigger, more ambitious, and far more urgent: Rebuilding the spine of Indian cricket from the grassroots up, and giving the Test team the seriousness it deserves. Only then will Indian cricket stop lurching from one crisis to another and begin, once again, to imagine greatness, suggests Prem Panicker.
With Bumrah leading the charge, India prised out five wickets in the second session to snuff out South Africa's hopes of reaching the 200 mark.
A dejected Rishabh Pant, who captained India in the second and final Test in Guwahati, apologised to the fans for the team's poor showing against South Africa.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee once again threw her weight behind Sourav Ganguly, saying the former India captain should have been the International Cricket Council president by now and warned, in her trademark style that "it's not that easy to stop him."
Jitesh Sharma, who has emerged as India's preferred wicketkeeper-batter in T20 format with less than two months left for the World Cup, has played down his 'competition' with Sanju Samson in the squad, saying it only brings out his "A-game" to the fore, strengthening the side.
Gill stretchered out with neck injury; ''just bad timing'', says Morne Morkel
Virat Kohli ruled out any possibility of returning to Test or Twenty20 internationals after his player-of-the-match century guided India to a 17-run win over South Africa.
In India's first innings, only Yashasvi Jaiswal (58 off 97 balls) and Washington Sundar (48 off 92 balls) could contribute substantially as the home team suffered a batting collapse after starting the day at 9 for no loss.
For the first time in many years, India are going into a home Test match as underdogs and not favourites. Ask any player worth his salt and he would tell that it is not a happy place to be.
Throughout the Test series, Indian batters struggled against a strong South African bowling attack. Indian batters averaged just 15.23 across the two-match Test series against South Africa.
India clinched the five-match T20I series against Australia 2-1 after the fifth and final game was abandoned due to rain, in Brisbane, on Saturday.
India skipper KL Rahul said his side needed to be sharper in key moments but felt the toss played a decisive role in the home team's four-wicket loss to South Africa in the second ODI, in Raipur, on Tuesday.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni made the players feel comfortable by backing them, while Virat Kohli's aggression and uncompromising standards proved vital in moments of crisis.
India require a victory in the third and final ODI to avoid a second successive series defeat against the Proteas after succumbing 0-2 in the preceding Tests.
Jaiswal ticked a box in the third ODI with his maidan ton and Ruturaj Gaikwad chipped in with a hundred at Raipur, leaving Gambhir pleased as punch.
The aura of home advantage -- long regarded as a hallmark of India's Test side -- seemed secure. But in barely over a year, that fortress has not just cracked, it has collapsed, raising uncomfortable questions about strategy, selection, and temperament.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has laid bare its blueprint for Jasprit Bumrah's workload management, making it clear that India's pace spearhead will be preserved for the biggest stages
Shubman Gill might just want to be fit enough to bat, as even a half-fit skipper is seen as more effective than Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran or Sarfaraz Khan.
Virat Kohli said he is 'feeling really free' mentally after producing another match-winning effort to help India clinch the three-match ODI series.
Ahead of the mini-auction, scheduled to be held in Doha on December 26, the 10 franchises have released their list of retained and released players.
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